My purpose here is to set down in writing a few general points. Most of them are probably unnecessary for you.

Some comments on equipment
The main point is something like what we all heard from our parents: “equipment doesn’t grow on trees.” For the most part, equipment only comes from grants, which are difficult to obtain. The equipment “belongs to USF” but that doesn’t mean USF will repair or replace it – it won’t. So it’s important to keep equipment clean and in good repair. The other reason this is important is that someone else will need to use the equipment.Computers
IT is responsible for maintaining all the Windows machines; I can fix some
things on these machines, but since I’m not actually trained as a technician, I’ll ask you to report anything except simple problems to IT.

Data
We don’t want to waste effort, so follow a simple guideline: enter data on lab computers as soon as you can after recording them! Most ecologists (including me) can tell stories about how (1) they were sure they remembered the important points about the data, but when they finally got to type them into the computer, discovered that they weren’t sure what some things on the data sheet meant, and (2) they were confident that they wouldn’t lose the data, but . . . . We don’t need to add more stories to this already-rich folklore –
just enter your data right away!

Keys and locks
The university doesn’t authorize keys to labs for undergraduates. However, for those who need lab access I can authorize it. What this means is that you’ll be on a list of those that the department office manager (who’s in SCA 110) can allow into the lab. It is essential that when you leave the lab, the doors are locked!